Kid Stuff (www.uppervalleykidstuff.com) asked readers their favorite places for families. The online results have been tallied, and the winners highlight the best family friendly locations in the Upper Valley area of Vermont and New Hampshire.

“The Upper Valley is rich in family friendly professional, educational and retail resources,” says Amy Cranage, associate editor of Kid Stuff. “The results of the survey attest to the breadth of options as well as readers’ passionate opinions about their favorites. It’s no wonder many people choose to raise their children in the Upper Valley.”

Maybe it’s just me, but this sounds like a great evening: five hours of uninterrupted reading time. If you’re a student in first through 12th grade (which, unfortunately, leaves me out), you can participate in the Abbott Library Lock-in Read-a-thon on Saturday, May 18. It’s a way to raise funds for the new Abbott Library in Sunapee, N.H.

Here’s all you have to do:

Get pledges from family, friends and people you know. Pledges can be for every minute you read or a fixed amount. For example, you might promise that you will read for 200 minutes and a pledge of 20 cents a minute would mean a donation of $40.

The five participants who gather the most donations will receive a certificate and a small prize.

Participants are welcome to start and end the evening whenever it is convenient for them and their parents/caregivers. And if you want to volunteer – oh, hey, maybe I can do that – the library is looking for some adult volunteers. Happy reading!